How to Cultivate Attention, Good Judgment, and Tranquility

Who among us does not want to discern right from wrong and useful from useless in any situation?

Thirty years ago—long before the modern mindfulness movement—Eric Harrison began teaching meditation as a secular, science-based therapy. Paradoxically, he rooted his practice in the Buddha’s original teaching: the Satipatthana Sutta.

The 13 steps in the Sutta offer readers the full benefits of mindfulness: attention, good judgment, and tranquility. Now—informed by a lifetime spent teaching tens of thousands to meditate—Harrison offers both a new translation of the Sutta (the first in modern English) and lucid guidance on how to apply it today.

“Brings clear thinking, practical wisdom, and welcome rigor to the widely popular concept of mindfulness.”—Publishers Weekly

“A deeply engaging book which both Buddhist meditators and secular mindfulness practitioners around the globe will find useful. To help clarify mindfulness, Eric Harrison explores the relationships, overlaps, and divergences between western Buddhist meditation and secular mindfulness. Whatever your particular views and preferences on the subject, TheFoundations of Mindfulness will help you locate them. I also enjoyed Eric's translation of the Satipatthana Sutta for its accessibility.” —Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness

“The Satipatthana Sutta is one of the Buddha’s foundational teachings on mindfulness. This commentary by a staunchly non-Buddhist mindfulness teacher makes for a stimulating and, at times, provocative read.” —David Michie, author of The Dalai Lama’s Cat series and Mindfulness is Better Than Chocolate